There are occassions when a general purpose vehicle is used to tow a second vehicle, or to pull a second vehicle out of a ditch or snowbank or other location from which the second vehicle cannot exit under its own power. A towing cable or chain is used to link the towing vehicle to the towed vehicle. However, conventional towing chains can be heavy, awkward and messy to use and store. As a result, attempts have been made to design a retractable towing cable which can be stored outside the vehicle. While these designs begin to address the problem of cable storage, certain shortcomings are evident.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,714,019 to J. L. Williams et al., discloses a retractable towing cable which is mounted to a vehicle. This type of design often presents a problem in that the attachment of the cable to the storage reel must bear the full stress on the towline. The attachment can break due to an inablility to withstand the substantial pressure exerted upon it. This results in potential damage to the vehicles involved, as well as potential injury to the person or people using the retractable cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,953 to Robertson et al. discloses a tow cable with a storage means. The storage means in this design is a flexible tube which mounts to the undercarriage of a vehicle. The tow cable is made of a semi-rigid material, which can be pulled out of the flexible tube for use, then simply pushed back in to the tube for storage. A collar prevents the cable from being pulled completely out of the tube. As with the '019 patent to Williams et al., the problem with this design lies in the connection of the cable to the towing vehicle. Continuous tension on the cable, or a sudden sharp tug, is likely to pull the cable out of the collar, resulting in damage or injury. Additionally, the tow cable of this design is limited in length to the length of the vehicle, making it impossible to extend the cable to longer lengths, as may be needed to pull a second vehicle from a ditch or other more distant location.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,751 to Colby discloses a retractable towing cable and storage means, which is permanently mounted to the frame of a vehicle. A collar on the towline prevents the towline from hyperextending. An abutment means for transferring stress from the towline to the vehicle frame is provided. This design is installed on the frame of the vehicle, requiring professional installation. The device of Colby makes no provision for adjusting the length of cable between the towing vehicle and the object being towed.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,695,096 to Hanses discloses a vehicle towing device comprising a metal strap coiled on a retracting wheel. This device is attached with a single lug to the rear of the towing vehicle, and, while retractable, is not entirely self storing.